Finsbury Park station
Encyclopedia
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London
. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail
station, London Underground
station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place. The National Rail ticket office here lies in between one entrance marked by the Underground roundel symbol, while the other is marked by the National Rail symbol, and provides direct access to the main line platforms. There is another exit by the western bus station along Wells Terrace, incorporating the Underground ticket office, plus a narrow side entrance to the south on the A503 Seven Sisters Road. The complex is located in Travelcard Zone 2
.
The station is named after the nearby Finsbury Park
, one of the oldest of London's Victorian
parks. It is also used by many Arsenal
supporters on matchdays, as the club's ground is just a short walk away.
When the Victoria line
was built in the 1960s, the walls in Finsbury Park station were decorated with mosaics of hot air balloons and duelling pistols, which can still be seen. This was based on a mistaken identification of Finsbury Park with Finsbury Fields, which was used by Londoners since medieval times for archery and sports, and also associated with 18th century duels and one of the first hot air balloon flights. However, Finsbury Fields actually occupied a location close to the present-day Finsbury Square
.
Finsbury Park station has a long and complex history involving the participation of many railway companies during its lifetime and has been subject to a number of operational changes and changes to the configuration of station infrastructure. British Transport Police
maintain a presence at Finsbury Park and have a police station located at the Wells Terrace entrance.
Ticket barriers were installed to platfroms 1-2 & 5&6 in 2011.
(GNR). Tracks were first laid through Finsbury Park in 1850 to the GNR's temporary terminus at Maiden Lane
just north of the permanent terminus at King's Cross (which opened in 1852). The first station at Finsbury Park opened on 1 July 1861 and was originally named Seven Sisters Road (Holloway).
(EH&LR) began construction of a line from Finsbury Park to Edgware
. The GNR took over the EH&LR shortly before its opening on 22 August 1867. The station was given its current name Finsbury Park on 15 November 1869. The Edgware branch platforms were on each side of the main tracks. The southbound ("up") track of the branch crossed over the main line by a bridge on its way into the station.
(GN&CR) was an underground railway planned to provide a tunnel link between Finsbury Park and Moorgate
in the City of London
as an alternative London terminus for GNR trains. The tunnels were constructed with a large diameter
to accommodate this service but a dispute between the two companies prevented the GN&CR connecting its tunnels to the GNR platforms. The GN&CR tunnels, instead, terminated beneath the mainline station without a connection to the surface and the line operated as a shuttle between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. The line opened on 14 February 1904.
(GNP&BR) (now London Underground's Piccadilly Line) opened on 15 December 1906 between Finsbury Park and Hammersmith
in west London. The tube railway originated as the Great Northern and Strand Railway (GN&SR) in 1897 and was initially supported by the GNR as a means of relieving congestion on its main line into King's Cross by constructing a tube line under the GNR's tracks from Alexandra Palace
to King's Cross and then to the Strand
. The GN&SR was taken over in 1901 by a consortium led by Charles Yerkes
before any work had been carried out and the section north of Finsbury Park was cancelled. The GN&SR was merged with the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway to form the GNP&BR. It was constructed with the smaller diameter tube tunnels common to other underground railways being constructed in London at that time. Its platforms were constructed by the GNR parallel with the GN&CR's platforms beneath the mainline station.
With financial support from the government, the Underground began construction of an extension
of the Piccadilly Line northwards to Cockfosters
and the first section, to Arnos Grove
, opened on 19 September 1932. The route was opened fully on 31 July 1933.
By 1935 the GNR had become part of the London and North Eastern Railway
(LNER) and the GN&CR had become the Northern City branch of London Underground's Northern Line
(having previously, in 1913, been bought by the Metropolitan Railway
, the forerunner to London Underground's Metropolitan Line
).
In 1935, London Underground announced its New Works Programme. This included plans to take over the steam-operated LNER branch lines from Finsbury Park to Edgware, High Barnet
and Alexandra Palace
- collectively known as the "Northern Heights" lines. These routes were to be joined to the Northern City Line by the construction of new tracks from Drayton Park to the surface at Finsbury Park as had originally been intended by the GN&CR. Trains would then have been able to run from any of the three LNER termini to Moorgate. The Northern City Line tunnels from Drayton Park to Finsbury Park would have been taken out of use. A separate connection between Archway Underground station
(then named Highgate) and East Finchley station
was also planned, including a new Underground station below the then-existing surface station at Highgate.
In early 1939 London Underground announced that the Drayton Park to Alexandra Palace route would begin operation in autumn 1940. The start of the Second World War caused the postponement and eventual cancellation of this and much of the other plans, leaving operations at Finsbury Park unchanged. The surface connection between Drayton Park and Finsbury Park was abandoned and the Northern City Line continued to run between Moorgate and Finsbury Park in tunnel. Traffic on the Edgware branch diminished and it was closed to passengers in 1954.
lines as possible and Finsbury Park was an ideal candidate for this.
The plan for Finsbury Park called for the reconfiguration of the four underground platforms used by the Northern City Line and the Piccadilly line. To allow the construction works necessary for the provision of cross-platform interchange
s between the Piccadilly and the Victoria Lines the Northern City service to Finsbury Park was ended on 3 October 1964. After this date trains from Moorgate ran only as far as Drayton Park.
The Northern City platforms became the southbound platforms for both the Piccadilly and Victoria Lines which were connected to the previously dead-end tunnels to the north of the platforms. The old southbound Piccadilly Line platform then became the Victoria Line northbound platform, with the northbound Piccadilly Line platform unchanged. New connecting tunnels were constructed. There are cross-over connections between each pair of northbound and southbound tunnels to enable stock transfers, given that the Victoria line is otherwise completely self-contained.
The first section of the Victoria line, including Finsbury Park, opened between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington
on 1 September 1968.
In 1976 part of the abandoned Northern Heights plan was completed in reverse. The Northern City Line
, which had originally run to the underground part of the station was transferred from London Underground to British Rail. An unfinished surface connection between Drayton Park
and Finsbury Park begun as part of the "Northern Heights" project was completed to make it possible to bring trains to the surface at Finsbury Park and run through trains from Moorgate on to the north. The service commenced operation on 8 November 1976.
competition to redvelop the south west / Wells Terrace side of the station and surrounding area with an 46,000sqm, £80 million mixed use proposal.
The proposals which feature two residential towers, include 480 apartments, alongside cafes and restaurants, retail units and a leisure facility still to be decided on. As part of the proposals, which cover the current pedestrian tunnel from Seven Sisters road to Wells Terrace and surrounding ticket hall area, there will be a new concourse and entrance from the underground platforms onto Fonthill Road via Goodwin Street.
A planning application was submitted in December 2009.
station, which has a separate ticket office to the Underground station, is managed and served by First Capital Connect
. Trains from Moorgate
and King's Cross form inner suburban services to Welwyn Garden City
and Hertford North
and outer suburban services start from Kings Cross towards Peterborough
and Cambridge
. Inner suburban service do not serve the Moorgate branch during late evenings and at weekends, being diverted to London Kings Cross instead. There are six platforms, but only five tracks, given that platforms 4 and 5 share a track. Platform 1 is used by London Moorgate services heading into London, platform 6 by Moorgate services heading northbound. Platforms 2 (southbound) and 3 (northbound) by Kings Cross services, usually fast but sometimes stopping. Platforms 4/5 by stopping northbound trains from Kings Cross.
and milestones, confirming many of the recommended interventions. In particular, part of this work just outlined was scheduled to be completed by 2014, and will involve the bringing back into service of a presently abandoned southbound platform, currently adjacent to a goods-only line on the south-east side of Finsbury Park station. This was again confirmed in the June 2010 update to the plan. It is expected that Moorgate-bound services will utilise this platform.
's number one hit 'I should have known better'.
and Victoria
lines. Although thought of as a 'deep-level' tube station, Finsbury Park has neither lifts nor escalators as its lines are less than 20' (6.1 m) below street level, though there used to be lifts from the high-level platforms to the tube level. These were the last hydraulically operated lifts on LT. The access to the Piccadilly and Victoria line platforms is by staircase only, reached via two narrow passages that physically prevent the installation of automatic ticket barriers - remarkable, considering its Zone 2 location. Manual ticket inspections do, however, regularly take place. Oystercard readers are available for "pay as you go" customers.
Night Buses
, the opening video shows a station platform (similar to a typical London Underground
station) bearing the station name Finsbury Park.
Finsbury Park is also a character created by the comedian Harry Hill
and the station's name was used as a term of amazement and exclamation by British comedy double-act Vic Reeves
and Bob Mortimer
during the series Vic Reeves Big Night Out
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station, London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place. The National Rail ticket office here lies in between one entrance marked by the Underground roundel symbol, while the other is marked by the National Rail symbol, and provides direct access to the main line platforms. There is another exit by the western bus station along Wells Terrace, incorporating the Underground ticket office, plus a narrow side entrance to the south on the A503 Seven Sisters Road. The complex is located in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
.
The station is named after the nearby Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
, one of the oldest of London's Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
parks. It is also used by many Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
supporters on matchdays, as the club's ground is just a short walk away.
When the Victoria line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
was built in the 1960s, the walls in Finsbury Park station were decorated with mosaics of hot air balloons and duelling pistols, which can still be seen. This was based on a mistaken identification of Finsbury Park with Finsbury Fields, which was used by Londoners since medieval times for archery and sports, and also associated with 18th century duels and one of the first hot air balloon flights. However, Finsbury Fields actually occupied a location close to the present-day Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square is a square in central London. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the east of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the parish of St Luke's and near Moorfields. It is sited on the east side of City Road, opposite the east side of Bunhill Fields....
.
Finsbury Park station has a long and complex history involving the participation of many railway companies during its lifetime and has been subject to a number of operational changes and changes to the configuration of station infrastructure. British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
maintain a presence at Finsbury Park and have a police station located at the Wells Terrace entrance.
Ticket barriers were installed to platfroms 1-2 & 5&6 in 2011.
1861 - Great Northern Railway
Finsbury Park is on the route of the East Coast Mainline from King's Cross to the north of England and Scotland. The southern section of this was built in stages during the 1840s and early 1850s by the Great Northern RailwayGreat Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR). Tracks were first laid through Finsbury Park in 1850 to the GNR's temporary terminus at Maiden Lane
Maiden Lane railway stations
The two Maiden Lane railway stations were in close proximity in the present London Borough of Camden, in north London, England. Maiden Lane itself is now York Way.-Great Northern Railway station:...
just north of the permanent terminus at King's Cross (which opened in 1852). The first station at Finsbury Park opened on 1 July 1861 and was originally named Seven Sisters Road (Holloway).
1867 - Edgware Branch
Soon after the first station opened, the Edgware, Highgate and London RailwayEdgware, Highgate and London Railway
The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...
(EH&LR) began construction of a line from Finsbury Park to Edgware
Edgware railway station
Edgware railway station was a London and North Eastern Railway station in Station Road, Edgware, Greater London. It is not to be confused with the London Underground Northern line Edgware station approximately 200 metres to the north east.-History:...
. The GNR took over the EH&LR shortly before its opening on 22 August 1867. The station was given its current name Finsbury Park on 15 November 1869. The Edgware branch platforms were on each side of the main tracks. The southbound ("up") track of the branch crossed over the main line by a bridge on its way into the station.
1904 - Great Northern & City Railway
The Great Northern & City RailwayNorthern City Line
The Northern City Line is a railway line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park in London, once part of the Great Northern Electrics line. It should not be confused with the City branch of the Northern line, nor with the North London Line...
(GN&CR) was an underground railway planned to provide a tunnel link between Finsbury Park and Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
as an alternative London terminus for GNR trains. The tunnels were constructed with a large diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
to accommodate this service but a dispute between the two companies prevented the GN&CR connecting its tunnels to the GNR platforms. The GN&CR tunnels, instead, terminated beneath the mainline station without a connection to the surface and the line operated as a shuttle between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. The line opened on 14 February 1904.
1906 - Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton RailwayGreat Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus...
(GNP&BR) (now London Underground's Piccadilly Line) opened on 15 December 1906 between Finsbury Park and Hammersmith
Hammersmith tube station (Piccadilly & District Line)
Hammersmith tube station is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. It is on the District Line line between Barons Court and Ravenscourt Park, and on the Piccadilly Line between Barons Court and Acton Town or Turnham Green at very early morning and late evening hours...
in west London. The tube railway originated as the Great Northern and Strand Railway (GN&SR) in 1897 and was initially supported by the GNR as a means of relieving congestion on its main line into King's Cross by constructing a tube line under the GNR's tracks from Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace railway station
Alexandra Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by First Capital Connect...
to King's Cross and then to the Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
. The GN&SR was taken over in 1901 by a consortium led by Charles Yerkes
Charles Yerkes
Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...
before any work had been carried out and the section north of Finsbury Park was cancelled. The GN&SR was merged with the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway to form the GNP&BR. It was constructed with the smaller diameter tube tunnels common to other underground railways being constructed in London at that time. Its platforms were constructed by the GNR parallel with the GN&CR's platforms beneath the mainline station.
1932-1933 - Piccadilly Line extension
The transport interchange at Finsbury Park had long been recognised as a severe bottle-neck for passengers heading north from central London and calls had been regularly made to improve the situation by extending northwards one of the two underground lines serving the station. Until the mid 1920s this had been resisted by the GNR and its successor the LNER as a threat to its suburban passenger traffic, but mounting pressure finally forced the LNER to relinquish its veto and lift its objections to the Underground making an extension.With financial support from the government, the Underground began construction of an extension
Piccadilly Line Cockfosters extension
The Piccadilly line extension to Cockfosters added eight new stations to the northern end of London Underground's Piccadilly Line. The extension through north London from to was opened in three stages between 19 September 1932 and 31 July 1933.-Need:...
of the Piccadilly Line northwards to Cockfosters
Cockfosters tube station
Cockfosters is a London Underground station on the Piccadilly Line for which it is the northern terminus. The station is located on Cockfosters Road approximately 9 miles from central London and serves Cockfosters in the London Borough of Barnet although it is actually located a short distance...
and the first section, to Arnos Grove
Arnos Grove tube station
Arnos Grove is a London Underground station on the Piccadilly line between Bounds Green and Southgate. It is in Travelcard Zone 4 and is located in Arnos Grove, near Arnos Park on Bowes Road, London. The station and surrounding neighbourhood of Arnos Grove take their names from the Arnos Grove...
, opened on 19 September 1932. The route was opened fully on 31 July 1933.
1935-1954 "Northern Heights" plans and cancellation
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER) and the GN&CR had become the Northern City branch of London Underground's Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
(having previously, in 1913, been bought by the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
, the forerunner to London Underground's Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
).
In 1935, London Underground announced its New Works Programme. This included plans to take over the steam-operated LNER branch lines from Finsbury Park to Edgware, High Barnet
High Barnet tube station
High Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...
and Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch)
Alexandra Palace railway station is a former station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the Muswell Hill area of north London...
- collectively known as the "Northern Heights" lines. These routes were to be joined to the Northern City Line by the construction of new tracks from Drayton Park to the surface at Finsbury Park as had originally been intended by the GN&CR. Trains would then have been able to run from any of the three LNER termini to Moorgate. The Northern City Line tunnels from Drayton Park to Finsbury Park would have been taken out of use. A separate connection between Archway Underground station
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
(then named Highgate) and East Finchley station
East Finchley tube station
East Finchley is a London Underground station in East Finchley in north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Highgate and Finchley Central stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...
was also planned, including a new Underground station below the then-existing surface station at Highgate.
In early 1939 London Underground announced that the Drayton Park to Alexandra Palace route would begin operation in autumn 1940. The start of the Second World War caused the postponement and eventual cancellation of this and much of the other plans, leaving operations at Finsbury Park unchanged. The surface connection between Drayton Park and Finsbury Park was abandoned and the Northern City Line continued to run between Moorgate and Finsbury Park in tunnel. Traffic on the Edgware branch diminished and it was closed to passengers in 1954.
1964-1968 - Victoria line
London Underground had for many years been planning a new route across central London to relieve pressure on the central sections of the Piccadilly and Northern Lines. In the early 1960s the plans were consolidated into a single plan for the Victoria Line. The route of the new line was designed to provide the maximum number of interchanges with other Underground and British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
lines as possible and Finsbury Park was an ideal candidate for this.
The plan for Finsbury Park called for the reconfiguration of the four underground platforms used by the Northern City Line and the Piccadilly line. To allow the construction works necessary for the provision of cross-platform interchange
Cross-platform interchange
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines in a metro system. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named...
s between the Piccadilly and the Victoria Lines the Northern City service to Finsbury Park was ended on 3 October 1964. After this date trains from Moorgate ran only as far as Drayton Park.
The Northern City platforms became the southbound platforms for both the Piccadilly and Victoria Lines which were connected to the previously dead-end tunnels to the north of the platforms. The old southbound Piccadilly Line platform then became the Victoria Line northbound platform, with the northbound Piccadilly Line platform unchanged. New connecting tunnels were constructed. There are cross-over connections between each pair of northbound and southbound tunnels to enable stock transfers, given that the Victoria line is otherwise completely self-contained.
The first section of the Victoria line, including Finsbury Park, opened between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington
Highbury & Islington station
Highbury & Islington station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the London Borough of Islington in north London. It is served by the Victoria line, London Overground's East and North London Lines and First Capital Connect's Northern City Line....
on 1 September 1968.
1970s - New connections
London Underground continued to use the Edgware branch occasionally for stock movements between its depot at Highgate and Finsbury Park until September 1970. The tracks were removed in 1971 and the platforms at Finsbury Park which served this line were demolished and their location is now the pedestrian access to the eastern station entrance. The bridge over Stroud Green Road which carried the tracks was removed. The abutment walls remain.In 1976 part of the abandoned Northern Heights plan was completed in reverse. The Northern City Line
Northern City Line
The Northern City Line is a railway line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park in London, once part of the Great Northern Electrics line. It should not be confused with the City branch of the Northern line, nor with the North London Line...
, which had originally run to the underground part of the station was transferred from London Underground to British Rail. An unfinished surface connection between Drayton Park
Drayton Park railway station
Drayton Park railway station is on the Network Rail Northern City Line which carries First Capital Connect services between Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City or Hertford via Finsbury Park...
and Finsbury Park begun as part of the "Northern Heights" project was completed to make it possible to bring trains to the surface at Finsbury Park and run through trains from Moorgate on to the north. The service commenced operation on 8 November 1976.
Future Development
In June 2008 it was announced that plans by architects Benson & Forsyth had been selected as part of a RIBARiba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
competition to redvelop the south west / Wells Terrace side of the station and surrounding area with an 46,000sqm, £80 million mixed use proposal.
The proposals which feature two residential towers, include 480 apartments, alongside cafes and restaurants, retail units and a leisure facility still to be decided on. As part of the proposals, which cover the current pedestrian tunnel from Seven Sisters road to Wells Terrace and surrounding ticket hall area, there will be a new concourse and entrance from the underground platforms onto Fonthill Road via Goodwin Street.
A planning application was submitted in December 2009.
Current services
The above-ground National RailNational Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station, which has a separate ticket office to the Underground station, is managed and served by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
. Trains from Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
and King's Cross form inner suburban services to Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City railway station
Welwyn Garden City railway station serves the town of Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, England. The station is approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line. Welwyn Garden City station is managed and served by First Capital Connect.-History:A station named Welwyn...
and Hertford North
Hertford North railway station
Hertford North railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Hertford in Hertfordshire, England with the other being Hertford East railway station....
and outer suburban services start from Kings Cross towards Peterborough
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
and Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
. Inner suburban service do not serve the Moorgate branch during late evenings and at weekends, being diverted to London Kings Cross instead. There are six platforms, but only five tracks, given that platforms 4 and 5 share a track. Platform 1 is used by London Moorgate services heading into London, platform 6 by Moorgate services heading northbound. Platforms 2 (southbound) and 3 (northbound) by Kings Cross services, usually fast but sometimes stopping. Platforms 4/5 by stopping northbound trains from Kings Cross.
Proposed enhancements
In February 2008, Network Rail published its East Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy (ECMLRUS). This identified a number of interventions, many of them involving infrastructure projects to enhance the East Coast Main Line (ECML). Among these interventions, improvements to the tracks able to carry passenger trains between Alexandra Palace Station and Finsbury Park were recommended. In March 2009 Network Rail published its CP4 Delivery Plan 2009, including Enhancements programme: statement of scope, outputsand milestones, confirming many of the recommended interventions. In particular, part of this work just outlined was scheduled to be completed by 2014, and will involve the bringing back into service of a presently abandoned southbound platform, currently adjacent to a goods-only line on the south-east side of Finsbury Park station. This was again confirmed in the June 2010 update to the plan. It is expected that Moorgate-bound services will utilise this platform.
In popular culture
The railway station is featured in the music video for Jim DiamondJim Diamond (Scottish musician)
James "Jim" Diamond is a Scottish singer-songwriter. Diamond is best known for his three Top 5 hits. The first was "I Won't Let You Down" , as the lead singer in the trio Ph.D., with Tony Hymas and Simon Phillips. His solo performance, "I Should Have Known Better", was a United Kingdom number one...
's number one hit 'I should have known better'.
London Underground
The station is served by the PiccadillyPiccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
and Victoria
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
lines. Although thought of as a 'deep-level' tube station, Finsbury Park has neither lifts nor escalators as its lines are less than 20' (6.1 m) below street level, though there used to be lifts from the high-level platforms to the tube level. These were the last hydraulically operated lifts on LT. The access to the Piccadilly and Victoria line platforms is by staircase only, reached via two narrow passages that physically prevent the installation of automatic ticket barriers - remarkable, considering its Zone 2 location. Manual ticket inspections do, however, regularly take place. Oystercard readers are available for "pay as you go" customers.
Bus connections
- 4: Northbound: Archway tube stationArchway tube stationArchway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
; Southbound: London Waterloo station - 19: Northbound: Terminates; Southbound: Battersea BridgeBattersea BridgeBattersea Bridge is a cast-iron and granite five-span cantilever bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England. It is situated on a sharp bend in the river, and links Battersea south of the river with Chelsea to the north...
- 29: Northbound: Wood GreenWood GreenWood Green is a district in north London, England, located in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated north of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London.-History:...
Southbound: Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of... - 106: Northbound: Terminates; Southbound: WhitechapelWhitechapelWhitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
- 153: Northbound: Terminates; Southbound: Liverpool Street StationLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
- 210: Northbound: Brent Cross Shopping Centre; Southbound: Terminates
- 236: Northbound: Terminates; Southbound: Hackney WickHackney WickHackney Wick is an area straddling the boundary between the London Borough of Hackney and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It is an inner-city development situated 5 miles northeast of Charing Cross...
(Eastway) - 253: Northbound: Hackney Central station; Southbound: Euston railway stationEuston railway stationEuston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
- 254: Northbound: HollowayHolloway, LondonHolloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington located north of Charing Cross and follows for the most part, the line of the Holloway Road . At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head area...
; Southbound: Aldgate tube stationAldgate tube stationAldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London.The station is on the Circle Line between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street. It is also the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan Line... - 259: Northbound: Edmonton Green railway stationEdmonton Green railway stationEdmonton Green railway station is a station in the London Borough of Enfield in north east London on the White Hart Lane branch of the Lea Valley Lines. The station and all trains serving it are operated by National Express East Anglia...
; Southbound: King's Cross StationKing's Cross stationKing's Cross station may refer to::* London King's Cross railway station in London, England** King's Cross St. Pancras tube station for London Underground lines.** King's Cross Thameslink, a disused railway station in London, England... - W3: Northbound: Northumberland Park StationNorthumberland Park stationNorthumberland Park station may refer to:*Northumberland Park Metro station, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom*Northumberland Park railway station, London, England, United Kingdom...
; Southbound: Terminates - W7: Northbound: Muswell HillMuswell HillMuswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
; Southbound: Terminates
Night Buses
- N19: Northbound: Terminates; Southbound: Clapham Junction
- N29: Northbound: Enfield TownEnfield TownEnfield Town is the historic town centre of Enfield, formerly in the county of Middlesex and now in the London Borough of Enfield. It is north north-east of Charing Cross...
; Southbound: Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of... - N106: Northbound: Terminates; Southbound: Aldgate tube stationAldgate tube stationAldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London.The station is on the Circle Line between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street. It is also the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan Line...
- N253: Northbound: Tottenham Court RoadTottenham Court RoadTottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
; Southbound: Aldgate tube stationAldgate tube stationAldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London.The station is on the Circle Line between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street. It is also the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan Line... - N279: Northbound: Waltham Cross railway stationWaltham Cross railway stationWaltham Cross railway station, opened in 1840, is a railway station that serves Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, England. It is also the closest railway station to Waltham Abbey, Essex, England...
; Southbound: Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
The station in fiction
In JoWood Productions' transport game Traffic GiantTraffic Giant
Traffic Giant is a computer game released in 2001 by Austrian software company JoWood Productions. It allows players to create a working public transportation system in a city using buses, streetcars, commuter rail, suspended monorail , and Maglev trains...
, the opening video shows a station platform (similar to a typical London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station) bearing the station name Finsbury Park.
Finsbury Park is also a character created by the comedian Harry Hill
Harry Hill
Harry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
and the station's name was used as a term of amazement and exclamation by British comedy double-act Vic Reeves
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
and Bob Mortimer
Bob Mortimer
Robert "Bob" Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian and actor, who is best known for his double act with Vic Reeves...
during the series Vic Reeves Big Night Out
Vic Reeves Big Night Out
Vic Reeves Big Night Out was a cult British comedy stage show and later TV series which ran on Channel 4 for two series in 1990 and 1991, as well as a New Year special...
.
External links
- London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
- , when the Northern City Line was still operated by the Metropolitan LineMetropolitan LineThe Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...